This study aims to identify and analyze controversial and difficult topics in the three classics Giftas I (1884) by August Strindberg, Främlingen (1942) by Albert Camus, and I taket lyser stjärnorna (2003) by Johanna Thydell using thematic analysis. Additionally, it discusses the didactic opportunities that these topics create in Swedish upper secondary school. The analysis reveals that controversial and difficult topics are present in all three classics. In Giftas I, the themes of women’s emancipation, women as objects, the importance of children, and men's vulnerability are identified. In Främlingen, themes of indifference and women's abuse emerge. In I taket lyser stjärnorna, themes of death, cancer, and puberty are recognized. Furthermore, the analysis demonstrates that these classics offer didactic possibilities for all Swedish courses in upper secondary school.